Question about red oak and white oak

[Mark42]

I see that the lumber yard has red oak (so do home centers). I want to make a nice wood "cap" on some half height walls in my basement. Thought I would get some 1x6 oak, round the edges over with the router and put a clear coat finish on it. But the red oak sold in the stores is very red. Not at all like the oak my kitchen cabinets are made from. Even the oak veneer plywood is red-ish, and the veneer ply the cabinets are made from is not red.<br /><br />Will the red oak look red after finishing? Or are my cabinets made from white oak?<br /><br />I don't want a red-ish looking top on the walls because the office cabinets are maple with an Autumn finish, and so is the entertainment center. I want something that will be light with a clear coat on it.<br /><br />I am stuck. Any suggestions?<br /><br />Edit:<br /><br />Here is the maple cabinet with the Autumn finish that I'm trying to match.<br /><br />

 

[JB]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Generally, red oak is furniture wood and white oak is construction (strength) wood.<br /><br />I don't know of any way to get red oak to look compatible with maple. The grain and texture are just as incompatible as the color.<br /><br />I suggest that you hold out for maple. HD can order it for you or you can go to a cabinetmaker supply house.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Mark,Why not find a saw mill in your area that saws hardwood and use maple or beech.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Thanks guys,<br /><br />I'm not trying to match grain. Just color. I want all the wood to be light. I just can't figure out why oak when finished by other people is light, but what I can buy is "red". I want my oak to look like this: Is this red oak or what?<br /><br /><br />

 

[jstromsk]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Looks like red oak to me. The "red" in the name has nothing to do with color. Just a species difference

 

[Mark42]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

The red oak at the Lowes is red. And expensive. It is dark. Nothing like what you see above. How do I get it to look like those doors?<br /><br />This is driving me crazy.

 

[llfish]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

It looks like red oak. There are different shades of red oak.<br /><br />Why not use white oak and stain it to the color that you want. In fact you could use other species of wood and stain to your specifications.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Mark, if you want to use red oad and want it to look like the oak in the pic then find a cabinet maker to plane some oak boards for you. Freshly planed boards will be lighter... Chief <br />also, don't buy boards from the boxstore(HD or Lowes), buy it from a cabinet shop. It'll cost less and they'll likely plane it for nuttin'.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Originally posted by Grumpy Old Fish:<br /> It looks like red oak. There are different shades of red oak.<br /><br />Why not use white oak and stain it to the color that you want. In fact you could use other species of wood and stain to your specifications.

Fish, white oak isn't white. Mark, when you clearcoat freshly surfaced red oak it will look like what you have in the pics, trust me on that..Chief

 

[one more cast]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Mark, here is a piece of red oak from lowes. I had to stain it to get it this dark. The pegs are beech.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Cheif101 and OMC you guys have convinced me. I'll buy a piece and mess with it to see if I can get what I'm looking for. <br /><br />OMC, you did a nice job on that propeller rack.

 

[llfish]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Never said white oak was white. But it lighter in color than red oak and that is a fact. Owned a cabinet shop for 25 years.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

why not use Maple?? <br /><br /><br />JB said that at first <br /><br /><br />are we looking at a 'trim scheme' here that is a little off the normal trail??

 

[Mark42]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Barlow,<br /><br />I can't find maple around here. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Mark, here's a list of some woodworkers organizations in your home state. I don't see any phone numbers, but a phonebook might help. I am sure any of these folks would be happy to help you find what you are looking for. There are a couple of homepages listed that could be of help. I googled a couple of the orgs on the list and foud phone numbers. Chief <br /><br />New Jersey<br /><br />Central Jersey Woodworkers Association<br />PO Box 271<br />Holmdel, NJ 07733<br />www.cjwa.org <br /><br />Crafts of New Jersey<br />38 Colony Court<br />Murrey Hill NJ 07974-2332<br />www.craftsofnj.org<br /><br />New Jersey Woodturners Club <br />8 Sumutka Ct. <br />Carteret, NJ 07008<br /><br />South Jersey Wood Carvers <br />108 Middlesex St. <br />Gloucester NJ 08093<br /><br /><br />Concord Carvers <br />12 Rockland Rd. <br />Concord, NJ 03301<br /><br />Crafts Of New Jersey <br />38 Colony Ct. <br />Murray Hill, NJ 07974 <br /><br />Collectors Of Rare & Familiar Tools Soc. <br />38 Colony Ct. <br />Murray Hill, NJ 07974<br /><br /><br />New Jersey Designer Craftsmen <br />65 Church St. Kilmer Sq. <br />New Brunswick, NJ 08901<br /><br /><br />North Jersey Wood Carvers <br />18 Cayuga Ave. <br />Rockaway, NJ 07866<br /><br /><br />Bucks Woodturners <br />284 Splringhill Rd. <br />Skillman, NJ 08558<br /><br /><br />New York Woodturners Assoc. <br />129 Beechwood Ave. <br />West Long Branch, NJ 07764

 

[Barlow]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

mighta missed that sorry if i did Mark .. in jersey huh? ...<br /><br />mind If I ask where in New Jersey.. I might be able to lead you in the right direction if something's close enuff for you..<br /><br />looking for a 1X6X(?) .. how long is the knee wall?<br /><br />'pro-build' Lumber yards is the 1st place to check for retail.. not HomeDepot/Menards/Lowes or the like.<br /><br />**edit addition:**<br /><br />chiefs' list looks good <br /><br />I was leaning towards 'pro-build' yards like Wickes Lumber .. 84 Lumber .. or old "family" named/owned.. those types

 

[Link]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Mark<br />You have some very good advice here.<br />Just went througth this with my fishing partner two months ago. (He is 60 something and I'm just a youngster) I tried to tell him to use cheaper woods and stain to match. But he had to follow the plans.. they called for "White OAK" A $180.00 later he built a planter for the front yard.. Uggg.. next time he will use Cedar! <br />Cedar ofcourse wont work for you but learn the art of staining to match. Much cheaper and who needs to know

 

[Mark42]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Chief, Thanks for the links. I'll check out the Rockaway location. That's not too far from me. <br /><br /><br />Then there are the contractors lumber yards. <br /><br />Barlow, I have about 30 ft of wall to top. 1x6 will do, I might glue some pieces to the under side to make it look twice as thick. <br /><br />Cabinets are being delivered this Monday so we will have them to do color match. <br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />Mark.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Link, I own and operate a cabinet/woodwork shop and have found that native hardwoods such as maple and oak are about the least expensive wood I can buy. If you are buying your hardwood at a boxstore such as Home Depot or Lowe's you wouldn't know that of course, they perpetuate the myth that domestic hardwoods are exotic and set their prices to your expectations. I was in Home Depot today and noticed that their red oak lumber is about 400% markup over the price I pay for the same, you know they pay at least half what I pay for the same thing. just my rant, Chief

 

[Link]

Re: Question about red oak and white oak

Chief my hats off to you or anyone thats does nice finish work. Wood working is just a hobby to me. I (like most) can ruff cut anything to function but when it comes to a nice finish... forget it. In the pics by Mark and OMC... I wish I could do that. And yes my fishing partner bought the wood at Lowes or Home Depote. When he told me what he paid for it, I told him to take it back, but it was too late. He had already cut the wood out. Here is a pic of his $180.00 wheel barrel planter. And yes even as late as last night we went out and had a good laugh over it and a couple drinks. But hey for a guy in his 60's who has never even built anything before he did pretty good. And yes I'm serious, this was his first attempt to build anything out of wood.<br /><br />

<br /><br />yea thats it... on the left.. that little wheel barrel flower pot. 180 bux in materials and it took him two weeks to build it.